Influence of surface pressure distribution of basic flow field on shape and performance of waverider

●Surface pressure distribution of a basic flow field is a key factor in waverider design.●Three basic flow fields having different surface pressure distributions but identical shock waves are designed.●The shapes and performances of three types of waveriders are analyzed and compared.

This study investigates the influence of the surface pressure distribution of a basic flow field on the shapes and performances of waveriders. First, three axisymmetric basic flow fields having different surface pressure distributions but identical shock waves are designed and obtained using the method of characteristics (MOC). Second, three waveriders—increasing-pressure, constant-pressure, and decreasing-pressure waveriders—are generated from these three basic flow fields. Finally, numerical methods are employed to verify the design procedure of waveriders with different pressure distributions of the basic flow field and to analyze the differences between the three waveriders. The obtained results show that the surface pressure distribution of the basic flow field is an important factor in the design of waveriders. The waverider generated from the basic flow field having increasing surface pressure along the stream direction has a larger volume and lower lift-to-drag ratio. In contrast, the waverider generated from the basic flow field having decreasing surface pressure along the stream direction has a smaller volume and higher lift-to-drag ratio. Changing the surface pressure distribution of the basic flow field can lead to greater flexibility in the design and optimization of hypersonic waverider vehicles.